Freecycle
The Freecycle group concept is now national and matches people who have things
they need to get rid of with people who can use them. Their goal is to
keep usable items out of landfill sites. The benefits of using Freecycle
are obvious to us all - by using what we already have on this earth, we
reduce consumerism, manufacture fewer goods, and lessen the impact on the
earth. Another benefit of using Freecycle is that it encourages us to get
rid of junk that we no longer need and promote community involvement in
the process.
Begun on March 25 2005, the Malvern Hills Freecycle
group is a branch of an incredibly fast-growing international
Freecycle movement, which began in Tucson, Arizona
on 01 May 2003 and now boasts thousands of groups
all over the world. Paula and Pippa are super-efficient
monitors of our local website and distribute daily
bulletins and updates to over 470 members. Recently,
a Waste Management Officer from Worcestershire County
Council gave a conservative estimate that between
the end of April and midSeptember 2005, Freecycle
had saved 3.5 tonnes from landfill- and this does
not include the cars. The average weights used were
taken from the
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Furniture
Recycling Network website (www.frn.orq.uk) WCC has
recently recognised the success of this particular
website and awarded Pippa and Paula a small grant
to enable them to produce leaflets and flyers and
thus publicise the group more effectively. A promotions
campaign is being planned for January 2006.
In addition to Malvern Hills and Worcester, Redditch,
Bromsgrove, Hereford, Wyre Forest and Gloucester
also offer active Freecycle websites. To find these
groups go to: (www.freecycle.org)
Please help our local group grow to the target of
1000 members by spreading the word. To join the Malvern
Hills and/or Worcester networks go to: (http://qroups.yahoo.com/qroup/malvernhillsfreecycle) or (http://qroups.yahoo.com/qroup/worcester-freecycle) |
Local Agenda 21
Agenda 21 is an international plan to achieve
sustainable development across the globe. However, in
order to accomplish sustainability, Agenda 21 must be
implemented at a local level - hence Local Agenda 21.
Over 150 countries signed up to Agenda 21 at the Rio
Earth Summit in 1992.
Sustainable development aims to ensure a good quality
of life for everyone, based on social, economic and
environmental values, Whilst sustainable development
recognises that change is necessary in order to improve
quality of life, it also requires that these changes
must not take place at the expense of people in other
regions of the world or future generations, nor must
they threaten the survival of other species,
Basically it means that we should live within the
capacity of our environment. |
Theatre of Small Convenience
Mystery & magic
brews along Edith Walk.
In Great Malvern stands one of the world's most intriguing theatres. Transformed
from an old Victorian Gentleman's lavatory, the Theatre
of Small Convenience is the smallest theatre in the world
(building), in the Guinness Book of Records 2002.
The founder is Dennis Neale, a keen puppeteer and drama enthusiast. He continues
to run the theatre as an independent and non profit-making project.
'This charming venue has to be one of Malvern's
treasured sights.' |
Upon entering, one feels
like having stepped through a magic door. A quaint
interior marked by an Italian - commedia dell'arte -
theatrical style. It has an audience capacity that
seats up to a dozen and an unconventional stage. On
the walls, paintings of summer skies, blue seas and
wild greenery add depth and drama to the place.
The theatre, since its opening in November 1999
has had performances both professional & amateur
of drama, puppetry, poetry, story-telling, music
and monologues, and even a day of opera! If you have
an interest in the theatre, whether it be for performance
or as an audience, we invite you to phone at (01684)
568 933 or drop an email to wctheatre@yahoo.com
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Fluoridation
in the Domestic Water Supply
The West Midlands are the most
fluoridated area in Britain, accounting for most
of the 1 0% of the country which is. I learned this
at a seminar by the Pure Water Association that I
attended at the Green Party Autumn Conference in
Lancaster. I also le'arned how damaging it can be
to children, and bottle-fed babies in particular,
causing in some cases the most awful discolouration
and damage. It appears that the hexafluorosilicic
acid or disodium hexafluorosilicate that is put into
the water comes straight from the agrochemical industry.
Waste gases not permitted to be expelled to the atmosphere
have to be washed down by a water spray, and the
resultant toxic soup is 22% hexafluorosilicic acid.
This is added to the water supply to dispose of an
otherwise problematic material. The other 78% is
composed of various chemicals including cadmium and
other heavy metals, and tests have never been tried
on this residue. However, you can be reassured that
it has been "calculated
for ... "
I cannot possibly sum up the gravity of this infringement
of our rights in a short article, but suffice it
to say that Fluoride is more toxic than lead and
slightly less than arsenic. Please write to your
MP, Michael Spicer.
The Pure Water Association can be reached at (http://www.npwa.freeserve.co.uk)
or 12 Dennington Lane Wakefield WF4 3ET |
The Grove -
Malvern alternative arts venue - Information to
follow
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Floating Lotus
(Malvern-based sustainable catering/recording company
- Information to
follow
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GM-Free Worcestershire
In
January 2004, Worcestershire Green Party members
Robert Wilkins, Sylvia Scarsbrook, and Chris Lennard
handed over a 1000-signature petition to Worcestershire
County Council demanding a GM-Free Worcestershire.
The petition asked for a GM-Free policy in the county's
schools and residential homes, a ban on GM produce
on County Council tenant farmers' land, and for the
County Council to apply to the Secretary of State
for Agriculture for exemption, should there be any
application to grow GM foods in Worcestershire.
A similar petition handed the next day to Herefordshire
Unitary Authority by Chris Lennard and Ann Adams
on behalf of Herefordshire Green Party and Frank
Hemming on behalf of Friends of the Earth met with
approval. Herefordshire Council have already adopted
a GM-Free approach to their institutions and their
tenant farmers. Worcestershire County Council has
yet to respond, and none of its members, from any
political Party, have yet put forward a GM-Free motion
to Council.
Green Party District Councillor John Raine put forward
a motion to Malvern Hills District Council which
resulted in a well-attended public debate, and a
subsequent GM-Free policy by the Council. County
Councils adjacent to Worcestershire such as Shropshire
and Warwickshire have adopted GM-Free motions, and
Worcestershire Green Party will use the County Council
elections in May 2005 to continue their campaign
for a GM-Free county. |
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